Wagon-brake



H. W. FALK.

WAGON BRAKE.

(No Model.)

No. 894,846. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

u. FEIERS. Final-KNEW, Wanhinflon n, c.

nects with the brakerod.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEETCE.

HERMAN \V. FALK, OF MILIVAITKEE, \VISCONSIN.

WAGON- BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,846, dated December 18, 1888. Application filed September 20, 1888. Serial No. 285,836. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, HERMAN V. FALK, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'agon- Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the foll lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Myinvention relates to wagon-brakes; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompan ying drawin and subsetpiently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a wagon-brake constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a detail side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the application of my brake to the wheels of a loaded wagon; Fig. 3, a detail view of the brake-leverin its raised position; Fig. 4, a detail plan view illustrating by diagram the various positions of the crank-shaft that con- Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents a brake-beam, and bolted orotherwise suitably secured to the ends of this beam are shoes B, the latter being preferably plates of steel that are segments of a circle having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the wheels on which my brake may be arranged to act.

As shown by Fig. l, the brake-beam is preferably suspended by hangers U and an angular brace-rod, D, pivotally connected to the longitudinal beams E of the wagon-body, the latter being illustrated by dotted lines; but any other suitable means may be employed for the same purpose.

'lhe'furcations Z) of a bifurcated link, F, have their forward ends rigidly connected to the brake-beam A, and said link is pivot-ally connected to a vertical lever, G, that is fulcrumed to a rearwardly-extended plate, II, this plate being secured to the rear axle, I, of the wagon midway between the wheels by means of a clip, K, that is provided with an eye, 0, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The link F is preferaldy provided with a series of perforations, 1?, arranged on the same line at suitable intervals apart, and by means of these perforations and the pivot-pin e said 1 link can be readily adjusted in a longitudinal direction accordingly as the brake-shoes ll vary in thickness.

Fast to the brake-beam A midway between its extremities is the forward end of a rod, L, and the rear end of this rod is passed through the eye 0 on the clip K, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. i

A brake-rod, M, has its rear end connected to the upper extremity of the vertical lever G, and the forward end of said rod is connected to the lower crank end, f, of a vertical shaft, N, that in this instance has its bearings in a bracket, 0, and foot-board I, secured to the forward end of the wagon. The upper end of the shaft N is also cranked, as shown at g; but the latter crank extends in a direction diametrically opposite the crank f at the other end of said rod.

Pi votally connected to the crank on d g of the Vertical shaft N is the brake-lever Q, that normally lies in a horizontal position and rests upon a rack, R, the latter being secured to the forward end and foot-board of the wagon. The brake-lever is provided with a recess or opening, h, and when said lever is in its normal position this recess or opening engages a lug, '2', on the upper end of the shaftN to prevent strain on the hinge-joint with the crank g, the lug being best illustrated in Fig. 3. The arrangement of brake -lever above described is the one preferred, especially on such wagons as have the drivers seat elevated some distance above the body; but it is obvious that said arrangement of the lever may be varied according to the style of wagons on which my brake may be employed.

In theordinary style of wagon the distance between the center of the axle I and the brake-beam A is increased in proportion to the drop of the loaded body, and consequently the brake-shoes I assume such a position that only a limited portion thereof comes against the adjacent wheels, and thus the resistance of the brake is proportionately diminished; but in my invention the brake-beam A is centered on the rear axle, I, of the wagon by means of the rod L, and consequently the entire face of each brake-shoe B is always in direct opposition to the adjacent wheel, regardless of the rise and fall of the wagon-body.

in Fig.1 the wagon-body (shown by dotted lines) in its unloaded or normal position with the brake off, and it will be readily seen that the brake-shoes 15 are at right? angles to a line drawn through their centers and the center of the rear axle. Supposing the wagon to be loaded, the weight on the body will cause the latter to drop on its springs, (not shown,) and as the wagon-body goes down with the load the brz'ike-beam A is corres iondingly dropped; but, being centered on. the axle 'I, it always remains the same disance from said axle, as shown by dotted diagram in Fig. 2, and consccucntly the brakeshoes I are in position to have the whole surface of their faces brought against the adjacent wheels when the brake is set, whereby the whole force of said brake is exerted. Another advantage of my brake lies in the fact; that the whole draw is from the axle, and consequently greater power is obtained with less effort than is the case with wagonbrakes of the ordinary construction.

To set the brake, the driver merely pushes with his foot on the lever Q, and thereby turns the shaft N in its bearings to cause an outward movement of the crank end f of said shaft, and through the rod. l: actuates the vertical lever G to draw on the bit'urcattal link F, that is conneetml to the brake-beam.

The riiperation just described is reversed to throw off the brake when the wagon is run on dry roads; but should the roads be muddy the lever Q is raised up and swung outward, thereby rotating the shaft N sufticiently to give the crank f its greatest possible throw to bring the brakeshoes a correspomling distance from the wheels, thereby leaving enough space between said shoes and wheels to allow clearance for the mud that z'iccumulatcs on the tires of the latter. in its raised position the lever Q lies against the drivers seat, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. l.

liy the dotted diagrams in Fig. i. I show the position of the crank f when the brake is on and off with the lever Q in its normal or horizontal position, a representing the former and g g the latter position of said crank. By full lines in the same figure the crank f is represented in the position it assumes when the brake is farthest oft, as in the case of muddy roads.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

i. A wagon-brake comprising a beam pivotally hung from a wagon-body, a rod fast at one end to the beam and having its other end arranged to reciprocate longitudinally upon the adjacent axle, and means, substantially as d eseribed, for actuating said beam, as set forth.

2. A wagon-brake comprising a beam pivotally hung from a wagon-body and providml. with shoes, a reaiavardly-exteilded plate, a clip uniting the plate with an. axle of the wagon and. provided with an eye, a lever fulcru med to said plate and linked to the beam, a rod having one end thereof connected to said beam and its other end loosely engaged by the eye on the clip, and means, substan tially as described, foractuating said lever, as set forth.

2;). A wagon-ln-ake eom n'ising a beam pivotall y hung from awagon-body and provided with shoes, a bifurcated link having its furcations connected to the beam, the beam, a lever connected to the link and fulerumed to the adjacent axle of the wagon, an eye on said axle, arod connected to said beam and passed through the eye, and means, substantially as deseriliied, for actuating the lever, as set forth.

i. In a wagon-brake, the combination, with i the brake-beam and rod, of a lever linked to said beam and connected to the rod,a crankshaft also connected to said rod, and a lever pivotally connected to said shaft to normally lie in a lnn'izontal position, sul'istantially as set forth.

5. In a wagon-brake, the combinatitm, with the brake-beam and rod, of a lever linked to said beam and connected to the rod, a crankshaftalso connected to said rod and provided with a lug, and alever pivota-lly connected to the crank-shaft to normally lie in a horizontal position and provided with a recess or opening to engage said lug, substantially as set forth.

6. The combimttion of the pimtally-hnng beam A, provided with shoes B, the link 1*, le ver t, plate H, clipped to the axle I, the eye 1' on the clip, the rod L, fast to said beam and passed t' hroi'lgh said eye, the rod M, crankshaft N, and pivoted lever Q, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set; my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Vis cousin, in the presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN \V. FALK.

\Vi tnesses:

E. OLIPHANT, WILLIAM KLUG. 

